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Original poster

To play or not to play party games at a 3rd birthday party? And which ones are good?

15 replies

emkana · 29/05/2004 11:46

Hi everyone
we're having dd1's 3rd birthday party on Monday. There will be 12 children, mostly her age, some a bit younger, some a bit older. The adults are all invited to stay for a drink too. The party is being held in the local church hall where we go to Mother and Toddler group, and we can use the big toys - a slide, ride-on toys, a pop-up tent etc. I'm now wondering if to play games at all - pass the parcel seems to be a must judged by other partys we've been to, even though I don't think it's that great, but we'll do it. Do you think it's too cringe-making if we do a sing-along with songs like Mulberry Bush, Ring of Roses etc.? And do you know/can you recommend any other games that would work at this age? I'm not sure if they're too young still...
Thanks for any advice!

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 29/05/2004 12:55

My two love doing the 'sleeping bunnies' song at parties (dd is 3 and ds is 2 and a half). Do you know that one? And no, I don't think its too cringe-making to sing songs. They love it at that age. I also think pass the parcel is a pain! Once they have their chocolate or little gift, they've had enough! Having said that, it's a great way to calm them down after they've played and before they eat as they all have to sit down.

foxinsocks · 29/05/2004 12:59

The other thing we did at dd's 3rd party was a dancing competition where we gave stickers for good dancing (i.e. they all got stickers but you get my drift!). I honestly think that any other games like musical statues or musical chairs are still a tiny bit beyond 3 year olds - either they don't get it at all or they do get it and have tantrums for not doing as well as the others!!

Original poster
emkana · 29/05/2004 13:28

Good idea with the dancing competition! Don't know the sleeping bunnies song I'm afraid.
Any other ideas/suggestions anyone? Thanks!

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 29/05/2004 13:50

the lyrics go something like this...
(Kids all lie down like they're asleep)

See the sleeping bunnies, sleeping till its nearly noon
Shall we try and wake them, with our merry tune.
They're so still
Are they ill?
WAKE UP BUNNIES (kids jump up and hop!)
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop
Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop

(Then kids lie down asleep again)

Repeat but with frogs (jump)and buzzy bees (fly)

I'll see if I can find the tune! If not, have a great party.

rsv1000r · 29/05/2004 13:56

Musical statues are beyond most 3 year olds, but a cross between musical chairs and musical bumps played with cushions on the floor seems to get them all laughing as they race to sit on a cushion, don't forget to keep taking one away - easily played with mum help as well.

Another quite(ish) game is sleeping lions where they have to pretend to be asleep on teh floor and one of the mums or dads is a lion crawling around between the kids growling in their ears and if they giggle or scream then they are out

tigermoth · 29/05/2004 16:02

not a game as such, but blowing bubbles perhaps? When my sons were 3 years old, pass the parcel was about the only game they wanted. Or treasure hunts, or lucky dips. Having a present of some sort really appealed.

roisin · 29/05/2004 16:28

We did sing-along songs with the kids at parties at this age - ones with lots of actions ... Row your boat; Twinkle twinkle little star; The grand old duke of York, etc. Some of the mums were definitely cringing, but the kids loved it

Many party games don't work at this age, as the children just don't understand the concept. I would certainly steer away from any sort of elimination game, but you can play musical bumps or similar without eliminating if you want.

But I think free play (with some fun food and balloons at the end), is probably all that's necessary for a 3rd party.

I've been to 3rd parties where lots of games have been organised - but mostly the kids don't know what's going on and wander round looking confused ... sometimes the parents get pushy ... and the games don't actually make it more fun for anyone.

LIZS · 29/05/2004 17:01

You could try a simple "treasure hunt" aka snap -use those picture cards and have the matching pair blu-takked on the wall. Kids have to find a match and return to base for a prize.

At this age I think a period of free play followed by a few organised activities and tea works fine. We got some balloons and stickers to make faces and decorate. Can you do bubbles and a mini disco/activity songs to a tape to finish ?

geogteach · 29/05/2004 19:36

I did a treasure hunt - cut up a sheet of Bob The Builder wrapping paper and stuck the characters on card, attached one of each character to a bar of choclate and hid, put another copy of each character in a plastic bag for them to pick out. Each kid pick a card and went looking for choclate with same one attached. Have also done making hats / masks - just go to a pound shop and buy loads of ctaft stuff and provide a hat outline (or paper plate for mask) to decorate. Both worked well.

exaussie · 30/05/2004 23:51

Went to a 3rd b'day party last week with dd. No games played except pass the parcel - but the kid's interest wasn't even held for unwrapping the first layer! They all seemed perfectly happy to just play together. The biggest hit was seeing who could burst the most balloons. A game that wasn't organised, but just happened. One thing that seemed to help was having 2 older (say 8 or 9) kids there. They have boundless energy and amuse the younger kids endlessly - they were girls, so don't know if that made a difference. Obviously, the food and cake stole the show though! Let me know how the party goes, as dd is 3 very soon, and I was just starting to think about all this.

Miaou · 30/05/2004 23:57

At three I did a storytime for the kids which was so popular that I am still doing it for my dd1 aged 7. I tell a story and draw pictures which are cut out and attached to card for each child to hold up in turn as I tell the story (if you aren't artistic you could photocopy them from a book). If you have got someone else to help lay the tea table, it's a great way to calm them down before tea.

Original poster
emkana · 31/05/2004 19:53

Hello everyone,
the party went very well, everybody had a great time! We had about an hour of free play, then food, then we played pass the parcel, musical bumps (they didn't really get it, we just let them dance around and sit down, nobody was really 'out', then we did Ring of roses, Mulberry Bush and the Hoky Koky in a circle, and then the children danced to a bit of music. Felt like more games wouldn't have worked, they're just too young to really 'get it' at this age! But it was great with the toys we borrowed from the playgroup. Anyway, I'm exhausted now, will pour myself a large glass of wine and relax!
Thanks for all your ideas.

OP posts:
Miaou · 31/05/2004 20:16

Well done emkana, glad it went well. You deserve your glass of wine!

willow2 · 31/05/2004 22:05

I wouldn't bother - think three is too young for any organised games. They just don't get it!

willow2 · 31/05/2004 22:05

serves me right for only reading the beginning of this thread...

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